Apparatus for electrical precipitation



0. LE 6, FORTESCUIEA APPARATUS 'FOR ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB I5. 1919.

1,42%3'70, Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR Mar/es Lefi Frifiscua ATTORNEY CHARLES LE G. FORTESCUE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEST- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8:; MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION.

Patented Aug. as, was.

Application Filed February 15, 1919. Serial No. 277,349.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LE G. Fon- TEsoUE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of PennsyL.

Vania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Electrical Precipitation, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, and it has special relation to apparatus of the character designated in which thefluid stream is brought into ionizing relation with an electrode system several times during its passage through a treating chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational sectional view of one form of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a discharge electrode which I propose to use; and Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

In connection with plants for precipitating suspended particles from fllowingfluid streams, it is necessary to obtain as high a rate of precipitation as possible. In order to realize an extreme rate of precipitation, I find that it is beneficial to cause the fluid stream to come into ionizing relation with the discharge electrode of the system several times during its passage through the treating chamber. To this end, I dispose the discharge electrode within the collecting electrode, the latter being formed as a treating hamber, and so associate baffle members with the electrode sys tem and the treating chamber that the fluid, in its passage through the latter, is compelled to pass through the discharge electrode several times while moving in the chamber.

The discharge electrode, which is probably most beneficial for employmentin the apparatus above described, is of a foraminous character, the perforations therein being so formed that a maximum ionization of the fluid, which is compelled to pass therethrough, is obtained. Moreover, as will be observed in the ensuing description of my invention, the discharge electrode, which I propose to use, may be simply and quickly supplied with the fluid to be treated through passages 4 and 5. A plurality of baffle members 6 are arranged, as shown, to compel the fluid being treated to pass through the 'foraminous ionizing electrode several times while moving through the treating chamber. When the system is operating normally, the fluid first passes through the. lowermost portion of the ionizing electrode and is, therefore, in optimum condition to be influenced by the collecting electrode. Thereafter it is further ionizedby again passing through the foraminous electrode and, as this cycle is repeated several times, it is apparent that the maximum number of particles are precipitated from the flowing-fluid stream, during its passage through the treating chamher.

In Fig. 2, one form of the foraminous electrode 2 is shown; It is formed from a sheet metal member by punching therethrough the openings shown at 7 After being punched, the metal is bent outwardly,

.as-shown inaFig. 3, at-8 and 9, to form a series of serrated projections on the face of the plate, the angle they make with the face of the plate being such as to cause the points to project substantially parallel to the stream flowing, the points being opposed to the direction of stream-flow before it passes through the plate and in a reverse direction after it passes through the electrode, and, in this connection, it will be understood that the points are of optimum character to function as corona-emitting portions. This form of discharge electrode, when used in the structure shown in Fig. 1, greatly enhances the corona emission.

It is obvious that many modifications of the hereinbefore described structures may occur to those skilled in the art and I desire,

therefore, that my invention shall not be limited except by the prior art or by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, an electrode formed as a treating chamber, a foraminous ionizing electrode positioned therein, and stream-directing means comprising a plurality of baflles so arranged that the fluid stream is brought into ionizing relation with the ionizing electrode several times during its passage through the treating chamber.

2. In a device for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, an electrode formed as a treating chamber, a

foraniinous ionizing electrode positioned therein, and stream-directing means to cause the fluid stream to pass theret-hrough several times during its passage through the treating chamber.

3. In a device for electrically precipitat ing suspended particles from fluid streams, a collecting electrode formed asa treating chamber, a foraminous discharge electrode positioned therein whereby an electrical field is established therebetween, and streamdirecting means for causing the fluid streams to pass through that portion of said field Where the ionizing efl'ect is relatively great several times during its movement through said treating chamber.

at. In a device for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, a collecting electrode formed as a treating chamber, a discharge electrode having a plurality ofperforations therein, the perforations being formed in such manner that a number of ionizing points extending in opposite directions from each perforation are produced, and means to direct the fluid streamdirectlyagainst certain of said points and through said perforations, whereby the particles in said fluid are charged to a relatively high degree:

In a device for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, a collecting electrode formed as a treating chamber, a discharge electrode having a plurality of perforations therein, the perforations being formed in such manner that a number of oppositely directed ionizing points are produced, and means to direct the fluid stream through the perforations several times during its passage through the treating chamber. V

6. In a device for electrically precipitating suspended particles from fluid streams, a collecting electrode formed as a treating chamber, a discharge electrode having a plurality of perforations therein, the perforations being formed in such manner that a number of oppositely directed ionizing points are produced, the points on one side of the discharge electrode extending opposite to the direction of stream flow and those on the other side thereof extending in the same direction as the stream flow, and means to direct the fluid stream through the perforations several times during its passage through the treating chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this, 31st day of Jan.

CHARLES LE G. FORTESCUE. 

